Erring on the Side of Quality Vs. Quantity in Social Media

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One of the hardest to-dos to check off the list for your business is generating content.

TBH, do you always know where to go for inspiration?

Nope.

I hope that was your answer because if you rushed to answer yes, I’m worried.

About the quality of your copy.

As we all know, a business begins with branding.

We envision who will use our products and services. We strive to make a meaningful dent in a world of also-rans, to rise through the clutter to reach top-of-mind status.

So much care and consideration go into making a solid brand that consumers ultimately flock to...even if they are just curious about what the heck you are selling.

Knowing how crucial the backstory is, then doesn’t it make sense that time, effort and thought should precede any copy you write…? Let’s creep out on the limb further. Your copy should drip with it.

Yes, we need to compete with the algorithms of the social media world, and consistently churn out space-fillers, but it is a better decision to forego a post or two than to pepper your pages with junk that could hurt your brand.

Humor is a fine line, for example. Every word and sentence that you share needs to tie into your brand, so if you post an off-color meme, it might elicit attention, but is it the right kind of attention?

In this millennium, there is such a thing as bad press.

Your business pages are better off through kid-glove handling than reckless posting.

In another life, I worked at a furniture company and wrote their social media posts. One day, I thought I would evoke a couple of chuckles with this grand idea: A sad little girl leaning against a tree, eyes downcast. The copy read: “I can’t eat this week because my parents shopped at the wrong furniture store.” In my immature mind, I thought it was hilarious and thankfully, the marketing director didn’t. “How does a starving kid sell furniture? Do people want to buy from a company that pokes fun at famished children?” I got his point. If I had been allowed to share that post (that I now realize wasn’t genius!) I would have caused pain for the brand. But I didn’t want to see the truth because I was convinced I was clever.

Did you know to even compete with the FB algorithm and be seen more often in the newsfeed, you need to post multiple times a day? You have to work hard every single day and pump out relevant content. There are two points to that sentence, not just that we want to fill a void to satisfy the algorithm quota.

If you are unsure if you should post a particular piece, that’s likely your gut screaming at you to be cautious. You might want to heed that voice.

So, what can you talk about and where can you find the sparks to fire your ideas?

I like to use the “The Trifecta Tactic.”

Trend - There’s no shame in glomming onto what people are jaw-jacking about by putting your own spin on it. Encourage conversation and unique points of view, i.e., engagement to come pouring out of your follower’s fingers. Piggybacking on the extra traffic doesn’t hurt either.

Trust or Credibility - Whatever you wind up sharing needs to come from the root of truth. No more sharing Wikipedia or eHow articles. Also, watch the dot-coms and make sure the site you are using reinforces your positive standing. You want your audience to know you lovingly select what they are about to ingest.

Thought-Provoking Memes - The type of memes you share are indicative of the values you let the world know you hold. In most cases, avoid politics, religious, and polarizing pieces. Your memes should create an attachment to the message, which should be arresting enough to stop the scrollers in their tracks.

Every touch point with your prospect should move them a step further down the path of working with you. People can see through flimsy content as soon as they skim it, and it is a far better choice to spread worthwhile content over a few days than it is to jam-pack your accounts with any old marketing. In addition, if your views and engagement suffer because of poor choices you will have a harder time getting back in your social media channel’s good graces. In other words, you will reset at less than zero and need to climb back up the ladder through the placement of deliberate and strategic content designed to improve your numbers.